


Because all I want for Christmas is to you and me to fix this.

by ColThKnighthold



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: 1830s, AU, Christmas, Futurefic, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Magic, Original Character Death(s), Paranormal, Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Racism, Romance, Some angst, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:06:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21804181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColThKnighthold/pseuds/ColThKnighthold
Summary: Sequel to Zayn's Christmas Carol (so you should probably read that first, if you haven’t already).It's 2023 and Liam is going to a Christmas wedding in a remote castle in Ireland. Zayn and Gigi have invited all Zayn's ex band mates and their spouses, fiancée’s or girlfriends to their big event, which of course doesn't go to plan.Or Liam and Zayn take a walk in the Irish countryside and have a life altering paranormal experience and come back changed men.Title is taken from Liam Payne’s song All I want (for Christmas)
Relationships: Eleanor Calder/Louis Tomlinson, Gigi Hadid/Zayn Malik, Harry Styles/Original Male Character(s), Liam Payne/Original Female Character(s), Niall Horan/Original Female Character(s), Zayn Malik/Liam Payne
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hi reader,
> 
> English is not my first language and any mistakes made are my own. Secondly it's a story and for enjoyment and purely self indulgent, I don't know any of the people mentioned in it personally, which is to say not at all. And so I don't know their sexuality either. 
> 
> So happy reading.

23th December 2023 somewhere on a lonely road in Ireland.

Liam is driving his Range Rover, which is also occupied by his fiancée and his two Afghan hounds Jahwar and Kabeer, through the darkening Irish countryside. It is snowing and it’s already late in the afternoon. It has been a long drive to Holyhead and from Dublin to their final destination a remote castle in co. Kerry. Liam was glad to be on the road after the awkward family visit with his parents in Wolverhampton. Awkward as his family still doesn't like Rosamund very much and they were very happy to hear he is back in contact with Zayn, something Rosamund was less than enthusiastic about and she spend most of their time there sulking. Now she is back to it again as she realises how cold and remote the wedding location really is. She is used to Los Angeles and palm trees, England was not to her liking but this seemingly endless snow covered country side she seems to like even less. The dogs in the back seem to like it though, but he fears for knots in their lovely long hair. It will take a lot of brushing to get the mud out. And of course Rosamund will be no help what so ever.

Finally Liam and his fiancée arrive at the castle and are welcomed by a rather cold looking Zayn. ‘Finally, you are the last ones to arrive.’ at the car park at the bottom of the hill. The castle is in the family through distant cousins who are currently on holiday in America, Zayn tells them while they are walking up the hill towards wall surrounding the actual castle. ‘Only a few members of staff remaining or available for the preparations for the wedding on Christmas Day at sundown, so you are expected to chip in.’  
Liam sees once they reached the top of the hill that castle wall is made of grey stones and what once was the courtyard with iron gate is now the roofed over reception area with thick wooden doors.

Inside the castle proper by a large roaring fire and a huge tree tastefully decorated in copper and dark brown baubles, in keeping with the rest of the room, with its cream coulered rugs and dark brown leather chesterfields. Liam and Rosamund with the dogs go around the room making greeting all the others wedding guests first up are Louis and Eleanor and their totally adorable twins babies are not even a year old. They are tired but happy. ‘Why haven't you started a family or at least proposed to Rosamund yet?’ Eleanor asks him with one of the twins on her arm, Liam can’t tell whether it is Johanie or Flora.

Next are Harry and his finance Alex the figure skater, both are dressed to the nines, in their matching woollen chequered Gucci suits.

And Niall has brought his girlfriend, Niamh a red head with lots of freckles, along as well. She is Irish just like Niall and just like Gigi a model. The two women have become friends over the past year, Liam only knows this because Zayn told him. He has been far too busy with his own music career and keeping Rosamund happy, to indulge in gossip.

And of course Zayn's family mum, dad and three sisters and their families with five kids between them. All the girls had a traditional Pakistani wedding, but Zayn always wants to be different and you can’t get any more different than this, Liam thinks. When he hugs Zayn's mother Tricia, whispers in his ear. 'I see the way you look at my son, just talk to him, preferably before the wedding.' He wants to ask her what she means by that but he is dragged away by Rosamund before he can mention it.

And last but not least Gigi's family her mother and father and her brother, Anwar and his girlfriend and Bella and her boyfriend, who Liam all has seen before thanks to Zayn, who invited him and Rosamund to their Thanksgiving dinner earlier this year. After all the greetings Zayn shows them to their rooms, complete with two dog beds for the Kabeer and Jahwar, who seem closer to Zayn than they are to Rosamund and follow him obediently.

After everybody else has gone to their respective rooms, Liam takes the dogs for a quick walk before turning himself in. He is just coming up the stairs when he hears a familiar voice. Harry's. He is having some kind of argument with his boyfriend. He knows he should not be be listening. But when he hears Zayn's name, he can't help himself.  
'Alex, will you please stop being so jealous.'  
'I can't help it. You know Zayn isn't straight. And I can't stand the fact that I might be losing you to him'

Liam is curious were this conversation is leading to.

'Alex, what are you on about? Since being back in contact with Zayn he talked with me about Liam that he has feelings for him, since a kiss they shared but Liam never mentioned it again so maybe he was grossed out with him. He is glad they are back in touch, even though it is not romantically, he takes anything he can get. Honestly you have nothing to worry about, Gigi on the other hand ...'  
Liam can't hear anything else. He walks away his head is spinning, first Tricia and now Harry. It seems he might have a chance with Zayn after all. He needs to talk to him before the wedding. But Liam fears for his music career and his family when the press finds out he is not only not as straight as he seems, but is doing it with one of his former bandmates. There are too many rumours about that anyway. He should never have said anything about the kiss in that interview, but he can't take it back.

The next night when Rehearsal night's dinner has just finished, Liam and Rosamund a famous tv chef back in the US where spends most of their time nowadays, have just come back into their room, Liam is lost in thought staring at their own private Christmas tree. he should have talked to Zayn by now, but every time he could he chickened out at the last minute and started a conversation about something completely different. It's just that he is so happy to have Zayn back in his life at all. That he is not willing to risk their friendship as they now are spending once again a lot of time together, walking the dogs, making music or just hanging out. 

But on the other hand Rosamund isn't happy with the way things are between them. She keeps pressuring him, after she heard that Zayn had proposed, to take that step too. But Liam isn't ready to take that step yet or if he is really true to himself, not at all. His heart belongs to someone else. ,He still isn't over the kiss he shared with Zayn. Zayn probably thought nothing of it. But for Liam it was definitely something, he wanted to explore further. Zayn never mentioned it again and Liam to afraid to do something about it himself, started drinking. Then Zayn left the band and Liam never saw him again. Even though he left numerous messages, Zayn never called back. He even went to Zayn's New York apartment, but he probably was out then, for he didn't open the door.

Until a year ago, when Zayn turned up out of the blue at Louis 30th birthday party, looking better than a body had a right to. He even was a bit jealous of Harry because he had found Zayn first.

Liam is pulled out of his musings by Rosamund's angry voice. 

'You are thinking of him again, aren't you? You always loved him more than you ever loved me! Giving those dogs such bizarre names, moping around since their engagement party, last year. One would think you were the one who wants to marry him. '  
‘I, I don't . You ...’ He starts to defend himself but is cut off by Rosamund.  
‘Please stop lying. I don't want to know what exactly happened between the two of you but .... Anyone with eyes can see you love him more than a friend, ' her voice is getting louder with every word. He is afraid some of his mates might hear their verbal fighting. Zayn and Gigi's room is only a couple of doors away. It would so be embarrassing if he heard. 

The dogs, Jahwar the white one and Kabeer the slightly bigger beige one, are also waking up, from their sleep in their cosy sleeping baskets. So he takes them with him when he leaves the room, to go and sleep somewhere else.

After a few hours of dosing off in the one of the chairs in the library, he decides to go for a run for breakfast and bumps into Zayn, literally. He can see his friend is nervous for the ceremony later today at Sunset. So he suggest them going for a walk. 'I know it's cold Zayn, but you wanted to get married here. Besides you are wrapped up warmly,’ referring to the down feathered parka, and woollen shawl, hat and mittens Zayn is wearing already wearing even though they are inside the castle. 'Let me get my coat and we will be off. I promise it will take your mind of things even if it is for just a little while.’ 

When he gets to his room Rosamund appears to still be sleeping, curled up and buried in the blankets so deep he can't even see her head. He tiptoes around, careful not to make any noise that could wake her up. He can't find the leads of the dogs, but doesn't think that is a bad thing his two Afghan hounds usually stay close to him anyway. But he hasn't even fully opened the large and very heavy wooden doors before Jahwar and Kabeer (their names meaning precious stone and great or powerful respectively) are tearing away from them and disappear into the snowy and misty Irish countryside.


	2. The walk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part is not for the faint-hearted. And I am sorry in advance for the cliffhanger at the end.
> 
> Read at your own risk.

They can do little else then go and find them. So they take off together hollering ‘Jahwar, Kabeer, here, here boys.’

But the dogs don’t come back and soon Liam and Zayn find themselves surrounded by a thick fog, so thick in fact they can’t see where the path is that should lead them safely down the hill on which the castle was build. Liam is the first to lose his footing with Zayn close behind him as the lather is laying on top of him as they finally have stopped rolling down the snow covered hillside.

Liam fears he must have hit his head as he find himself in a vaguely familiar pub, or Wolves Workingsmen Club, as it now is called judging by the sign on the wall. His granddad went on and on about the club, where he used to play darts and snooker and the lager was cheap. But that can’t possibly be right, because that would mean they are back in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands in England. Liam looks further around the space the men dressed in unfamiliar clothes. With Zayn on the opposite end of the room by the bar, looking back at him, dressed in strange clothes, surrounded by strangers. Liam stares at said clothes, trying to find out from which era they are. Flat caps, breeches, collarless shirt, with rolled up sleeves and trousers. Workman clothes, 19th century working man’s clothes, so the 1800’s then. It’s evening judging by how busy it is with men drinking away their wages. And when he looks outside through the large windows, it’s probably autumn for there are still leaves on the trees but they are brown in the lamplight. Turning his gaze inwards again he suddenly spots a very familiar face. Zayn is standing on the opposite end of the room by the long dark polished bare, looking straight back at him, dressed in the same clothes. He realises he must be wearing them too by the look on Zayn’s face. He is not sporting any tattoos anymore, though, not popular in this age then, but Zayn still manages to look handsome somehow. On his feet he appears to wear some kind of ankle boots. But what are they both doing here? And why? And more importantly how do they get back to their own time again? Liam weaves himself through the crowd towards Zayn, who is leaning now against the bar, drinking a beer. How did he get that? When he reaches in his own pocket of his trousers he finds his answer in the form of loose chance. He might as well too, then, he thinks and orders a pint of lager from the tap. After he finished his beer, he tells Zayn they have to go.   
'Go where, Liam?'

That is actually a good question. But when he puts his hand back into his trouser pocket and this time his hand finds another object in it. It turns out to be a key and luckily there is a piece of card attached to it with an address written on it. He stares at it for a while as he recognises the place. It's the same address as where his grandparents used to live. And he spend many happy days there. So he takes Zayn with him.

But outside it’s cold and windy. However it seems to have stopped raining.   
‘I know what you are. It’s unnatural, devils work.’ He hears behind him. They keep on walking. But when Zayn hears some boys loitering about on the pavement calling him ‘Paki’ he walks up to them. Liam has a hard time dragging him away from a possible fight. ‘Zayn, just leave, they are not worth it.’

Two turns later they are on the street where his grandfather used to live and before long Liam finds himself using the key to get into the house. In the hallway there are a man and woman. ‘About time you got back, George, and you have brought yourself another male guest with you. A Paki no less. Makes us wonder what you’re up to up there.’ Liam hears Zayn mumbles something under his breath but before he can do anything about it, Liam is pushing Zayn up the stairs. ‘Oi, George aren’t you introduce us. Will I be make you both breakfast tomorrow?’ the female asks after them. ‘No, no, we will not be taking you up on your breakfast offer. Thanks though.’ Liam hollers back.

When they are finally alone with each other, something changes. And before Liam really knows it they are kissing, it is as if somebody else is controlling his body as is guiding Zayn to the bed and undresses him and starts to prep him with his fingers for sex. He thinks it might gross Zayn out but in fact he encourages him, by moaning and moving his hips. He is so into Zayn and what he is doing that he doesn't hear the commotion outside his door until it is too late. Next thing he knows he is roughly taken from the bed by a policeman. He is barely able to put some clothes on before he is handcuffed and carted off to the local police station. 

Two police men interrogate him for hours in a small room, not much larger than the police cell he was thrown in after his arrival. In the end he is so tired the confesses to anything they want him to. He already knows he is going to be sentenced to death, probably by hanging. He just wants to wake up from this nightmare. As he now believes he somehow acting out somebody else's life. Or as he hopes just dreaming it and that he will wake up. But no, he gets thrown back into his cell awaiting trial. Only in the court room he sees Zayn again. He looks even worse than him. 

The trial starts with the jurors being sworn in and one of them telling the jury and members of the public and press present that George Payne, of the city of Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands, and within the jurisdiction of the said court, labourer, not having the fear of God before his eyes, nor regarding the order of nature, but being moved and seduced by the instigation of the devil, on the 29th day of August, in the fourth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord, William and Fourth, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, with force and arms, at the parish aforesaid, and within the jurisdiction of the said court, feloniously, wickedly, diabolically, and against the order of nature, had a venereal affair with one Zayn Javad Malik, and did then and there, feloniously, wickedly, diabolically, and against the order of nature, carnally know the said George Payne, and with him the said Zayn Javad Malik did then and there feloniously, wickedly, diabolically, and against the order of nature, commit and perpetrate the detestable, horrid, and abominable crime (among Christians not to be named) called buggery, to the great displeasure of Almighty God, to the great scandal of all human kind, against the form of the statute in such case made and provided, against the peace of our said lord the king, his crown and dignity. 

Liam isn’t sure he heard anything correctly or even knows what it means they are accused of. 

What the hell does any of that mean and what is buggery anyway? 

He looks to Zayn who mouths that he has no idea either. But during the trial it becomes abundantly clear what it is they are accused of. Sex. And the whole case appeared to be based on what his landlord and lady claimed to have seen through the keyhole and the window, and of course the policeman who was fetched and who arrested them. Through the whole ceremony Liam and Zayn sit in the dock, staring at the proceedings. This can’t not be true, but it is. They are not called to give evidence themselves, and Liam only saw his lawyer/prosecutor is not doing a good enough job to convince the judge or the jury that they should have to be able to what they want in the privacy of their own room, without having to be watched through a keyhole. 

The only thing Zayn and him are asked during the entire trial, which lasted only a day, if they think they are innocent or guilty, they both plead not guilty.

And as only a few character witnesses come forward and none of them are for Zayn sentencing is swift. And the verdict is …. death by hanging. Liam feels sick, only because he and Zayn had sex they are sentenced to death. Wake up, wake up, he thinks to himself.

After the verdict they are being sent to prison awaiting their execution. During the their trip to it, they are together, but isn’t a happy reunion at all, as they both are handcuffed and don't know what to say to each other. So the silence drags on. In the end is Zayn who breaks it. ‘I am sorry we got here.’  
‘Not your fault, I was the one who suggested the walk and I was the one that tripped. I am the one to be sorry. I just hope it’s a dream or rather nightmare and we will wake up before the actual hanging. But somehow I don’t believe we will.’  
‘Me neither mate. Well for what it’s worth it has been nice knowing you. And let’s hope we will see each other after.’

Then the car comes to a halt and they are dragged off to different cell blocks. 

Alone in his allocated cell Liam still hopes he will wake up before he is hanged, but fears the worst.

His fears come through a couple of weeks later, as he is roughly taken from his cell and is frogged marched to the town square, where he is once again reunited with Zayn. It's on miserably bleak and rainy morning, but still he can see that a large crowd has gathered to witness there hanging, when he is pushed up the scaffold. He hears Zayn mumbling in Urdu right behind him when his ankles are bonded together by leather straps, by a police man who brought them here. He can hear the people below shouting abuse at him. How different it is than adoring fans singing your songs back at you, he really, really wants his own live back. Especially when a priest comes up to him and whispers in his ear to safe his immortal soul and to repent his dreadful and unnatural sins.

He gets to have one final look at Zayn who has tears running down his cheeks. He can’t imagine what it must be like to see Liam die and know he will be next, before he being blindfolded by a sack being placed over his head, before he feels the noose around his neck being tightened until he is almost suffocating. Then there is the sound of the lever of the trapdoor being pulled and everything goes black.


	3. A new Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little later than planned. Enjoy!

It feels like breaking the water surface after being under water too long, Liam thinks when he wakes up in the cold wet snow on a bottom of a hill in Ireland. His first real sensation he is aware of his face being licked by a rather rough tongue. When he manages to open his eyes he is looking in the face of Kabeer. He slowly sits up, for he is very stiff and very cold. And when he takes in more of his surroundings he sees Zayn getting the same treatment by his Jawhar and to his great relieve Zayn is also waking up. He has never been happier to be alive than now. He closes as quickly as he can the remaining distance between them and kisses Zayn on his lips, just because he can. Zayn kisses him back without any hesitation. Here he won't be sentenced to death for loving another man. Because if there is anything he is certain of now is that he truly loves Zayn. And the way Zayn is looking at him right he knows the other man feels exactly the same about him. Maybe it's because it was the kiss they shared way back when they were still in One Direction. He finds he really doesn't care, the only thing that matters is the future they will have together. 

But there is just one thing Liam has to know. 'Zayn did you dream that too?'  
'If you mean I was in the past and tried to have sex with you and was imprisoned and sentenced to death then yes I dreamt that too.'  
'It felt real though, I could have sworn it was somebody else's memory or life we just lived. But why it was in Wolverhampton of all places I don't know.  
'That I don't know either, but on the other hand, I know there has been some weird shit going on lately. For example have I told you what happened to me on Christmas Eve last year? Before I came to Louis' birthday bash?’  
'No, I don't think you did.'

Then Zayn proceeds to tell him about the four ghosts who visited him last year. And when he is finished Liam can only agree that is indeed some weird shit going on. But while he can see the lessons Zayn had to learn from his experiences he can't figure out what he needs to learn from this.

Zayn mumbles something like what about we need to get our own shit together because life is too short. Preferably before Christmas.  
'That ship has already sailed I'm afraid.' Liam tells him. 'We must have been away for ages.'  
‘Have you not been listening? Last time the ghost did it all in one night.’  
‘What do you mean,’ Liam asks.  
‘It was Christmas morning when we left, so if we get back the same day, we fixed it by Christmas.'

Hand in hand and with the dogs guiding them Liam and Zayn walk back to the Castle as quickly as they can fearing they might have been missing for some time, hours if not days. 

But they seem not the only ones to have disappeared, the Hadids and Rosamund have gone.  
'Did you not see them, while you were out by the cars?' Louis asks them.  
'No, we were out walking the dogs down in the valley and besides its very misty outside.' Liam tells his former band mates who are all gathered in the reception area.  
‘How long have been we been gone?’ Zayn asks the room at large  
‘It's just gone eleven now on Christmas morning.’ Louis tells him.  
‘About an hour then,’ concludes Zayn then. ‘Come on let's have breakfast then.’  
‘You do not appear to be very cut up about Gigi standing you up like this,’ observes Louis while they walking to the dining room.  
Zayn looks at his right hand which is still in Liam's. ‘That's because I am not. Somehow I do not think Gigi and I were meant to be. I mean I don't think I was meant to be alone, I just don't think I should be married to her.’ 

Behind him Liam hears Harry talking to Alex ‘See I told you so, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. So when are you finally going to ask the question to me?’  
‘Really Harry you are so demanding, you can ask me yourself you know, what is stopping you?’

After breakfast alone in his room Liam calls his mum.  
‘Mum, do you know about any ancestors of ours who were hanged?  
‘What a strange question to ask?’  
‘Mum’  
‘Alright, let me think, well, I can think only of one, in your father’s line, who he was hanged on the 26th of December 1833 under the crime of buggery. 190 years ago. George Payne, his name was, he was your let me think now. Your four times great grandfather, the great grandfather of your grandfather. He was 29 like you. And married, with two young children. You had to in those days. Such a shame, only for loving another man, Both men were hanged. Don't remember his name though, could find out suppose, if you wanted to know. By the way, how are you holding up seeing Zayn marrying someone else?’  
He was married? Where was his wife? But then he remembers the people that spoke out for him at the trial. She must have been one of them. He or George didn’t remember his own wife. He must have been under so much stress. But she didn’t even visit him. She must have been so confused and angry thinking their married life a lie. Married. Gigi has left so has Rosamund. Zayn.  
‘About that mum, Gigi and Rosamund have left.’  
‘Oh. Well then there is nothing more stopping you from tying the knot with him now is there, love?’  
'I'm just so sorry you can't be there for it.'  
'What ever do you mean, love? We are already in Dublin, it shouldn't be more than a few hours’ drive. We will make it by sundown don't worry.'

Liam is very confused as he puts down his phone. His parents are on the way here, how and why? They couldn’t have known something he doesn’t knew himself. They must have known something this morning. She said they were already in Dublin. It doesn’t make any sense. Until … he sees a letter. To Liam. It’s in Rosamund’s handwriting. 

Liam,

I am sorry to have to do this. But I can’t compete with Zayn. You should marry him. I have talked to Gigi and she agrees. So I contacted your parents and told them to be here by sundown for the ceremony. I wish you all the best in your future life.

Rosamund.

Liam hears knocking on the door of his room and when he opens the door. It’s Zayn with a letter in his hand. ‘She left because she thinks I should marry you.’  
‘Yes, I know, I had the same kind of letter from Rosamund.’  
‘So why waste this opportunity. We should probably inform the wedding officiant of the changes to the ceremony.’  
‘Yes, I guess you’re right.’

Together they go to the room where the man has made his quarters. When he opens the door to them doesn’t seem very surprised to the change of events. ‘Yes, I was informed of the news already early this morning,’ he tells them with a warm smile, before he invites them in to his room. And the three of them sit on the couch by the lit fireplace. ‘It has never happened to me quite like this before. But yes sometimes the bride or groom to-be sometimes leave. Can’t say I ever had the wedding go through after that. So I just thought there was just going to be some kind of party. But I must I agree this is better. But you have to tell me a little bit about yourselves and how you met, before I am willing to join you two in matrimony.’

The End.


End file.
